Heavily armed militants had attacked a fuel supply vessel at an offshore location within ExxonMobil’s oil bloc on September 30 and abducted a vessel captain and injured a crew member.
A similar attack was carried out on October 17 leading to the abduction of another captain of a supply vessel named “MV Wilbert.”
Security sources at the Qua Iboe crude export terminal claimed on Tuesday that the two captains regained their freedom last weekend but declined to state if ransom was paid to secure their release.
“ The captain of MV Wilbert, Mr Huque, a Bangladesh national and an unmade Nigerian crew member were released at Ibaka bridge from where they made contact with the ExxonMobil security team in the area.
“ The Bangladesh captain immediately contacted diplomats from his home country who facilitated his return back to meet his family and relatives,” an anonymous source said.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) union leaders had embarked on a three-day warning strike a fortnight ago to protest insecurity at oil fields across the Niger Delta region.